“A View of / A Bridge, 15 miles in the road from Florence / to Bologna, / drawn August 11th 1781 by Francis Towne / Light from the right hand.” in brown ink; according to Leonard Duke’s note attached to the museum mount, Towne inscribed, top left, “No.7” and, top right, “Light from the right hand”, but neither of these inscriptions remains on the mount (which presumably has been cut down, as the drawing is not centered on the mount)

Provenance

Untraced until sold by Samuel in May 1925 to Leonard Duke (1889–1971; no.D2467) for £4. In January 1961 Duke sold the drawing for £220 (perhaps via Colnaghi’s) to Paul Mellon (1907–1999), who gave it to the present owner, the Yale Center for British Art, New Haven (B1977.14.5375; gift to Yale, December 1977).